BARGAINING BLOG

This pandemic presents a choice to all of us. Graduate employees are depending on the University of Florida to institute fair standards and protections due to the disruption of academic and personal life caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

3 Ways to Support GAU​

Here’s how you can take action:​

Call, email, or tweet, President Fuchs and demand that he directs the Office of the Provost to immediately come to an agreement with GAU on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) including the following relief and protections for graduate employees:

Suspension of all terminations and non-reappointments of graduate employees for failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress during the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.

Provide additional paid personal time off for graduate employee parents who need to care for children kept home from school due to the COVID-19 crisis.

On Wednesday, April 8th, GAU's Bargaining Committee conducted an informational bargaining session on GatorGradCare with the President and Medical Director of GatorCare, Dr. Jill Sumfest. The purpose of the meeting was to receive information on GatorGradCare, so the administration and GAU can effectively negotiate health care coverage for our next collective bargaining agreement.

During the approximately two-hour virtual session, Dr. Sumfest provided detailed information on GatorGradCare's benefits, as well as the plan's medical, pharmacy, and financial performance over the past three years (the length of our contract). A video highlighting GatorGradCare and its current benefits is provided below. Dr. Sumfest also previewed possible benefit changes to GatorGradCare under a 2020-23 contract. Many of these proposed changes would make available benefits provided to other GatorCare members but not yet GatorGradCare members. Increases to premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance were also suggested.

On Monday, March 30th, GAU's Bargaining Committee conducted an impact bargaining session with UF's administration over the impacts of its emergency measures and mandates during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. Impact bargaining is the process by which a labor union negotiates with the employer over the impacts of decisions they have made. In this case, GAU is bargaining over the impacts of the University's instructions to graduate employees during the current public health crisis. This includes physical and mental safety, family and child care, access to buildings, materials, and resources, availability of Graduate and Family Housing, compensation for increased work, and COVID-19 testing.

During the virtual bargaining session, which lasted roughly an hour, GAU's Bargaining Chair Javier Mesa presented University administrators with a memorandum of understanding (PDF), which is a document by which two parties can agree to binding terms. Over the course of the session, it became clear that administrators were not ready to come to an agreement. When pressed on his willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding at all, UF's Chief Bargainer Dr. Bill Connellan responded by saying: "Do I think that we're likely to come to a memorandum of understanding? Probably not at the current time."

​This is an extraordinary moment for our community and country. GAU will continue to work to represent and protect the interests of graduate employees. GAs deserve better, it's that simple.

Please watch our first impact bargaining session below or on our YouTube channel, and let us know what stands out to you. Is there a specific topic or argument that you believe we missed, a response from the Administration that angered you, or a topic of particular importance to you and your family? We have identified relevant segments below for viewing.

Dr. Bill Connellan: "I'm not gonna do anything that would eliminate our ability to terminate someone who is not making satisfactory progress in their degree program."

Provision 7 - Increased Workload (35:00-38:36)

Dr. Bill Connellan, in response to a GAU proposal for $200 in GA compensation for increased work: "The answer to that is absolutely not..."

On bargaining for a memorandum of understanding (51:15-53:25)

Dr. Bill Connellan: "Do I think that we're likely to come to a memorandum of understanding? Probably not at the current time."

​In addition, during bargaining with UFF, Dr. Bill Connellan stated that the University is not responsible for caring for parent-GAs, ignoring the concerns of parent-GAs that they will be unfairly penalized for failing to maintain regular work hours due to caring for a child at home, a loved one, or themselves.​Please comment below or send us an email at organizing@ufgau.org. We want to hear your feedback. We are your union, your voice.

BARGAINING

Collective bargaining is the process by which labor unions negotiate with employers to reach a contract on terms of employment, including salary, health care, benefits, and workplace safety. Each year, GAU bargains with UF over such terms.